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Started by Tokinred, March 23, 2024, 12:23:29 PM

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Tokinred

I'm in Levy County, just over the river.  My daddy was a Land Surveyor and i was homeschooled by my mom.  In essence, i was child labor😅.   

I would bet good money that we surveyed at least 50 % of Dixie County.  Most of the "5 acre subdivisions" in Dixie County were created by Thompson Real Estate, in the 80s.  We were his only surveyors, so we worked six 10s a week for a decade, it seemed. 

One hasn't truly lived until one has spent 10 consecutive hours running a 20", 1970s Homelite chainsaw in a Dixie County swamp, in mid-August!   I have truly lived, many many times, starting at 14yo. 

I went to law school to escape the heat, humidity, and deer flies of Dixie County.  I once saw a skeeter so big, it was standing flat footed, "assaulting" a buzzard!🤭

Tokinred

Pic

Tokinred

Another.

Tokinred

The hardest part of milling this stuff is seeing how much was there, and how much value is lost.  Here's a 16'2" piece of cherry Mahogany, sawed at 2.25" thick.  There's some good in there, but a lot of rot...😐

SawyerTed

@WV Sawmiller 

Howard, it must be something in the water down there.  The truth elongating minerals must be in Dixie and Levy county water!   ffcheesy ffcheesy

On second thought, I might have seen decendants of that "skeeter" on Portsmouth Island...
Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

Larry

Suggestion.....

I bought several thousand foot of walnut logs a few years ago. Got it really cheap because the logs were old and lots of different lengths. Separated the logs into two groups, the junk and the good stuff. I knew if I sawed the junk into grade lumber I wouldn't be able to give it away. Sawed the junk pile all into live edge slabs. It brought more money than the good logs that I sawed into grade lumber. Live edge tables and shelves with character (cracks, rot, and knotholes) are in vogue right now.

Your mahogany board jogged my memory. With a natural edge it would sell but as a board maybe not so much........

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Tokinred

Quote from: SawyerTed on March 25, 2024, 03:14:19 PM@WV Sawmiller

Howard, it must be something in the water down there.  The truth elongating minerals must be in Dixie and Levy county water!  ffcheesy ffcheesy

On second thought, I might have seen decendants of that "skeeter" on Portsmouth Island...

I can assure you, i have been extremely conservative in my estimates.  When this is all done, it's likely to be double, triple what i can see now.  I am regularly overwhelmed to the point of tears. 

Setting a 250BF log on the mill, the value dependent on species, rot, and how i saw it is seriously stressful.  This is probably the last opportunity i'll have to earn enough for the retirement i'd dreamed of, prior to my ex deciding she needed it all🤦.

I just pressure washed a small log, and am going to saw it up. I took pics of both ends, and am planning to saw 2" off the top, then rotate 90° CC, and do the same. Advice welcome. 

WV Sawmiller

Tokin

    Trust me - that remark from Ted was directed at me and in no way questions your integrity or truthfulness. You will find that part of the joys of membership on the FF is picking on other poor and often maligned members.

    He also implied he is somewhat familiar with the area in recognizing that Levy County is adjacent to Dixie County. Before long he will be talking about swimming in Hart Spring and such.

    You still did not provide more detail on your exact location which would be most welcome.

    Ooops. Disregard. I missed that post. (Now wait and see the flack I get.) :uhoh:
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

oldgraysawyer

I don't think you should listen to these guys on here. It sounds like they are trying to talk you into a life of hardships dealing with those. Just send me your address and I'd be happy to come down and clean up all those old rotten logs, for a very reasonable fee, that have been there all those years and get them out of your way. I'm sure you'd be much happier to get them out of there so you can have room for a fun project of some kind. :wacky: 


Just kidding...... :uhoh: maybe :uhoh: !

Anyway congrats on the win fall and we all look forward to watching your progress with that beautiful wood. 
DB in WV

WV Sawmiller

Tokin,

    I am well familiar with the child labor issues. My 2 brothers and I were Dad's labor pool in his monument and chain link fence business. I told him many times I would never have had to leave home if he'd have just bought an automatic cement mixer, power hole diggers and a chainsaw. Imagine your experience with a chainsaw in Dixie County swamps using an old fashion brush hook. (There is a special place in Hell for the man who invented that tool). Of course he bought power tools after all of us had left but that did not do me any good.

  When I was a kid there were few fences and no range laws there in that part of Florida and cows and hogs ranged freely. The places in those hammocks were I used to hunt are no doubt the ones you surveyed and are now subdivisions.

  The guy across the road from my grandfather caught the river up and sold the land as "Suwannee River front property" to a rich yankee. That was true but when the water went back down it was 2 miles to the river. To say the least the land there was flat!

  I think that is the same skeeter I heard talking to his buddy on my porch one evening. He said "Should we eat him here or take him back to the swamp and eat him there?" The second skeeter said "We better eat him here because if we take him back to the swamp the big boys will take him away from us."
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Tokinred

Lol, y'all are fun ti hang out with.

I have exceptionally thick skin, and "dish it" plenty; so i can take it.  I'm just glad i can share this process, and learn from folks with different OJT.

That log is Bubinga.  It is amazing how well it held up to 50+ years in the yard! 

Tokinred

@WVS, that gave me goosebumps, then made me bust out laughing!   Thank you.

Pic of what that log became.  One of the best i've sawed.  More than half of it is good.  As usual, the prettiest parts are also the first to rot.


SawyerTed

@Tokinred

For some reason my quote of your comment about the giant "skeeter" has gone missing in action. 

WV Sawmiller is known for his yarns, tales of adventure and woe.  Howard has at times entertained us with a few stories that border on incredible.  In short, he has moments when he's just plain a character!  He's a known tall tale expert and embellisher — it's all in good fun and we get great laughs from his humor. 

My comment was regarding the skeeter comment.  It was meant as kindly ribbing and in no way questions your character or the fascinating log find and lumber.  If my comment came through in an offensive manner, I am truly sorry. Sometimes things don't come through as intended. 

Woodmizer LT50, WM BMS 250, WM BMT 250, Kubota MX5100, IH McCormick Farmall 140, Husqvarna 372XP, Husqvarna 455 Rancher

Tokinred

🤭Guys, i'm tough as woodpecker lips!  I don't take stuff personally, ever.  Please don't be gentle...😂

Added a good pic of a grain variation in the mahogany, and a pic of 4-5 species together.

Tokinred

Pics of a 24"x5.5" square-ish piece, and my first attempt at a cutting board.  The growth rings seem to indicate a fairly large tree fell. 

rusticretreater

I suggest visiting a bunch of the woodworkers websites and anyone who sells exotic woods to see what they are offering.  These are the things that sell and are high margin.  Certainly, a lot of pen blanks and blocks of wood for wood turners.  The mahogany will be prime furniture, guitar and special wood box material.

That cutting board looks sweet.  Those would certainly sell at trade shows and online.  
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